Never Been Aliased
by Glittering Pegasus
Summary: What if Josie wasn't the only one undercover at South Glen South? (Alias/NBK crossover)
1. A Visit from Weiss

**Title: Never Been Aliased**

**Author: Dani******

**Feedback: Yes please please please!!!**

**E-mail: Pegasus1788@aol.com**

**Distribution: Feel free to use this anywhere. But please send a link so I know. **

**Summary: What is Josie wasn't the only one undercover at South Glen South? What if there is a completely different side of the story waiting to be told?**

**Rating: PG-13 because of curses, nothing worse than what was in Never Been Kissed or what is ever on Alias.**

**Disclaimer: Though I love Alias, it's not created by me. We have JJ Abrams, ABC, and Bad Robot to thank for this show. And Never Been Kissed is one of my fave movies, but it's not my creation either, sadly. **

**Classification: humor, mostly, some slight dramay angsty stuff, and of course some romance. ;-)**

**Never Been Aliased- Chapter One**

Eric Weiss knocked on the slightly open door of his best friend's office with one hand, using the other to fling his yo-yo down into a "sleep" position. 

"Come in," he heard Michael Vaughn's voice call from inside, his tone sounding distant and rough as it always did when he was worried. Weiss knew, before even entering, what it was he was worried about. 

"Sydney's on a mission isn't she?" he asked knowingly as he walked into the room and shut the door behind him. 

Vaughn looked up at his friend and wondered once again how he always knew. Was he really that obvious? "Yes, as a matter of fact she is. But I don't know why you're bringing it up."

Weiss performed a "rock the cradle" and answered. "Come on, man. I know that's why you're sitting in here during your lunch break, doodling the names of baseball players on your notebook and flipping that coin like it's an Olympic gymnast."

Vaughn absentmindedly gave the coin another flip, putting it down when he noticed Weiss smirking at him. "I am _not doodling the names of baseball players in my notebook," he replied defensively. _

Weiss grabbed the notebook and opened to the back. The name _Gordie Howe was sketched in the corner. Below that was scribbled __L.A. Kings and on the bottom, neatly scrawled was __Sergey Federoff. Weiss eyed his friend and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, sorry. You're doodling the names of __hockey players into your notebook. That's a hell of a lot better than baseball players. You're going crazy with worry, man. You have to stop thinking about her."_

"I really think I would've if I could, Weiss," Vaughn snapped.

"Okay, okay. You don't have to get huffy about it. I'm just saying, for the one millionth time, that you are way too emotionally attached and I don't want it to lead you to trouble."

"Yeah, thanks for the advice but we've gone over this and you know that it's not something I can help. I didn't tell one of the most amazing wom…people I know to come waltzing into my life with that bright red hair. Jeez, you act like it's my fault."

Weiss suddenly lowered his voice and told himself to be careful about how he said his next words. "Man, you remember the last time you got too emotionally attached to someone? Remember what happened? You want that to happen to Sydney?"

Vaughn was taken aback by the sudden reference to his past. He closed his eyes and visions filled his mind. He was on a Ferris wheel, the bright lights reflected in his companion's eyes, the ground moving slowly closer to them the falling quickly away as the ride climbed higher…

***~FLASHBACK~***

"…Well, we've been together for a long time, and now she wants me to move to New York. And I should do it, you know…make the commitment and grow up…" he paused and thought over what he was saying to this girl, so young and innocent. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about this stuff with you."

The girl sitting next to him flashed a small smile and laughed, her bright eyes glittering. "It's nice to have someone to talk to."

He caught his breath, wishing so deeply that he could tell her everything, the whole truth of who he was and why he was there. But he knew he couldn't. He just nodded slightly and muttered, almost inaudible, "Yeah. Same here."

***~END FLASHBACK~***

"Weiss, did you have to bring that up? As if I wasn't worried enough already?" Vaughn asked. 

"Look, buddy, I'm just saying… be careful, okay? I really don't want this to end up a mess like that time did. I'm just looking out for my best friend."

"Thanks, Weiss. But Sydney is nothing like Josie. The situation is completely different."

Weiss nodded, unconvinced. "Okay, whatever. Well, I'm going to enjoy my break. You can come with if you want, or you can stay here with your coin, drowning in your sorrows. Your call."

Vaughn made it look like he was deep in thought. "Hmm… I think I'll choose choice two. Much less aggravating." 

"Whatever, See ya," with a flick of his yo-yo, Weiss was out the door and Vaughn was left alone to his thoughts and memories. 


	2. Reflections

A/N: okay I forgot to mention in the first chap.– the idea for this story kind of came to me while reading one of those Vaughn/Sydney karaoke things and it reminded me of the club in NBK. I kinda went from there. Anyway, this story is meant completely for comedic purposes and I have absolutely no reason to believe that any of this stuff could've actually happened. Although, the way I'm writing it, it's actually a possibility. Lol.

**********************************************************************************************************************

**Chapter Two**

An hour after Weiss left, Vaughn still sat in his office. He stared intently at the phone, waiting for her call. He had to know she was safe and that she'd gotten back from the mission okay. That was all he wanted. He knew that shouldn't be. That a handler wasn't supposed to sit around with a migraine and serious anxiety problems because they were worried about their agent, but it was out of his control.

Resting his head in his hands, Vaughn noticed the notebook that Weiss had teased him about. He opened it to the scribbled on back page and stared at the names, once again feeling the world around him fade into memories…

***~FLASHBACK~***

_"…My first season of pee-wee hockey…well, honestly, I was terrible. I couldn't skate, I was afraid to take a hit…then one day my father brings me home this brand new helmet, signed by Gordie Howe," he had said while playfully slapping around a puck with the hockey stick he had behind his desk. The class didn't react the way he'd expected. They all gave him a blank stare, as though confused._

_"Come on, guys, Gordie Howe!" Vaughn had persisted at seeing the unrecognizing looks. He searched for a way to relate them. "He was like…like the Tiger Woods of hockey."_

_That worked better than expected. The class rustled with, "Ahh!'s" and "Wow!'s"_

_"Now every time I put on this helmet, I feel invincible. Suddenly I'm skating harder, I'm checking people left and right…I even got thrown out of a game once for fighting. The point here is that disguise can be liberating. It can make us do things that we wouldn't do in ordinary life. And for Rosiland, her male costume opens the possibilities for the great love of her life."_

***~END FLASHBACK~***

Ha. If only disguises were really like he had said they were. He'd been in disguise plenty of times. That year at Southglen South, now almost four years ago, that was just another example. But even in his disguises, he felt like himself. If disguises could really change a person so much, why couldn't any disguise let him admit his feelings for Sydney? Or make him stop feeling them at that. 

Why was he always falling for the ones he couldn't possibly be with? Whether it was the law, or protocol getting in the way…just like with Josie. 

Everything had worked out with Josie Geller, reporter for _Chicago __Sun Times. It turned out that she wasn't really seventeen as she'd claimed to be and so he was able to legally be with her. But then the situation changed…he found out things about her that he hadn't anticipated. Things that, as Weiss had pointed out, endangered them both._

Why had Devlin ever given him that assignment? Why him? Why not Weiss or even Jack Bristow? Why him? It was the question that plagued him every day…

***~FLASHBACK~***

_"Agent Vaughn?__ I have an important assignment for you," Devlin said during their meeting. "We have evidence that SD-6 has set up headquarters in __Chicago__, __Illinois__. They have just set up the branch there and it's very small and undeveloped. If we act now, we can take down that branch before it grows any larger. It won't hugely effect all of SD-6's operation, but it's definitely a step in the right direction."  
            "So, what's the mission?" Vaughn asked slowly._

_"It's a very complex one, one that you will need a year to complete with success. It's simple in theory, but in order to act out your part properly you will need a year. You will pose as a teacher at a high school in __Chicago__ called Southglen South under the alias Samuel Coulson. You find out their cover offices, gather as much information on them as possible, and once you have the right information, use it to destroy them. We'll, of course, have a team there with you for assistance."_

_Vaughn let the information sink in, deep in thought for a moment or two. "Uh-huh. Got it. So…when do I leave?"_

_"Tonight," Devlin replied. "You start your new job on Monday."_

**END FLASHBACK**

What had he done to deserve that? Ha. So that was his reward for being a good agent. He always did well on his missions so he got sent on important ones. That was a nice thing for a while, until that particular mission came along. That damn Chicago branch of SD-6. As if his life wasn't chaotic enough already at the time. He had been trampled with mission after mission… just like Sydney was now. 

He wondered right then what Sydney would say if she knew he were sitting here reflecting and moping about his unchangeable past…probably just laugh and say something amazingly sweet and charming to lighten the mood. 

He realized then, that Sydney and Josie were somewhat alike in a few aspects of their personality, even some of the things that they said. After a minute, he let that go and tried to focus on something else. But his mind kept wandering…

**FLASHBACK**

_"So…how was your Thanksgiving?" Vaughn asked __Sydney__ in the dim light of the warehouse as she got ready to leave. _

_"Fine- my friend got engaged."_

_He smiled slightly. "What-what's her name?"_

_Sydney__ returned the smile and eyed him curiously, but answered "Francie."_

_"Oh."_

_"So, how was yours?" she retreated. _

_He shrugged. "Typical. Spent it with my mom."_

_"What about…is it __Alice__?" she questioned lightly. _

_"Yeah…we broke up."_

_Sydney__ nodded sympathetically, but used all her will to hide the smile forcing its way across her lips._

**END FLASHBACK**

Vaughn got up and paced around his office as he thought about that particular warehouse meeting. He remembered not being sure if he should've been flattered or annoyed when he saw Sydney trying to hide the relief she felt when she heard of his breakup. Just like Josie on prom night…

**FLASHBACK**

_Josie looked up at him as they twirled around the dance floor. The prom queen tiara sparkled in her hair under the mirror ball lights. "So…is your girlfriend here?"_

_"No actually we…we broke up," he answered quickly._

_"Oh, that's kind of funny because you know, "prom" comes from "promenade" and you can't promenade alone, can you?" Josie asked jokingly. _

_Vaughn laughed. "You're amazing, Josie Geller."_

**END FLASHBACK**

"You're amazing, Josie Geller," he had said sincerely, wondering how the hell he had gotten himself into this situation. Here he was, a 29 year old CIA agent pretending to be a teacher, and he was dancing with the most amazing girl he'd known at that point in his life. And she was, supposedly, a seventeen year old girl. Of course, he'd had no idea what was in store for him fifteen minutes later. 

And he'd been completely unaware of the girl who would step into his life four years later…

**FLASHBACK**

_Vaughn carefully approached Sydney, whom he saw quietly sipping a coffee and staring intently into a shop window. Window shopping. He reached to get the violin case of information from the bench behind her and she acknowledged him. _

_"You're amazing," he told her softly. _

_She replied flatly, "I am not amazing."_

_"You did a great job," he argued. "You sure you're ready to meet with Devlin?"_

_"Yeah."___

**END FLASHBACK**

**A/N: If I screwed up any of the lines from the movie or show in the flashbacks, I apologize. I wrote most of them from memory. PLEASE review!!**


	3. Party Like the Past

**Chapter Three**

The sudden, shrill ringing of his cellular phone broke Vaughn's thoughts. Without even glancing at the caller ID, he grabbed the phone and hit the 'talk' button.

            "Vaughn," he answered as he always did, holding his breath and praying it was Sydney's voice on the other end. 

            "Michael? How are you doing today, Honey Bunches of Oats?"

            He let out the breath he'd been holding reluctantly. Not Sydney. "Fine, Aunt Trish. How are you?"

            "I'm just dandy today. Thanks for asking, Caboodles. Anyhoo, I'm just calling to make sure you remember that the family barbeque is in three weeks. You'll be there, Mikey?"

            I sighed. "Yes I'll be there. And please don't call me Mikey."

            "Oh, I'm sorry, Mikey. I guess you're too grown up now for that name. What are you, 25? 23?" Aunt Trish jabbered on. 

            "I'm 33, Aunt Trish."

            "33! Well, I'll be! You know, that's the age I was when I met your uncle?"

            Vaughn was so not in the mood for his insane aunt's crazy stories. "You were 19 when you met my uncle, Aunt Trish."

            "Oh, so I was! I nearly forgot. Thank you, Mikey."

            "Well, I'm at work, Aunt Trish. So I've really got to go. Nice talking to you. Goodbye." He hung up before he could hear his aunt's reply. 

            Hmm. Funny how Aunt Trish reminded him so much of Ms. Knox. 

            _God damnit, Michael. Get South Glen South out of your mind! Think of anything else. Think of __Sydney__, even. As long as it doesn't include that high school._

_            And so, Vaughn thought of Sydney. She was, of course, on another mission in a foreign country. She was retrieving a photograph that contained evidence of a Rambaldi artifact hidden somewhere. This time, she was on an island. What was it called again? The name came to him in a flash… Bali. Sydney was in Bali. Oh, great. That was not the best topic to be thinking about. _

**FLASHBACK**

_"Oh, good morning Sam! And how are we doing today?" Ms. Knox exclaimed as she passed him in the hallway. _

_"I'm fine today, Carla. And you?" Vaughn answered._

_"I'm perfect! But I forgot to take my hot flash medication today!" she informed him enthusiastically. _

_He blinked. "Ah."_

_"Well, have you heard about our new student?" Carla questioned him._

_"No, I haven't. What's their name?"_

_"Josie Geller. Interesting girl." she giggled. "Says she grew up in __Bali__."_

**END FLASHBACK**

Breaking into his trip down Memory Lane, the door opened again. 

            "Man, you're still in here? Well, at least I see you've given the coin a rest," Weiss observed. 

            Vaughn grinned sheepishly and held up his other hand. In it was the coin. "Maybe not."

            "Come on, we can leave now, Balls of Steel. Let's get out of this joint and do something to take your mind off Bristow for five Goddamn minutes."

            Vaughn stood up and glared at Weiss. "You know, because of you I did manage to stop thinking about her for a while. But that was only because you had to bring back all the memories of Josie!"

            Weiss sighed heavily. "Man, Josie is old news. You let her go, remember? You had to. You know after she told you-"

            "I know what she told me!" Vaughn snapped, interrupting his friend. 

            "Okay, okay. Sorry for bringing it up. Now let's get out of here and do something fun. You need to calm down."

            Vaughn glanced regretfully at his cell phone. Weiss practically read his thoughts. 

            "Mike, she's fine. She can kick anyone's ass, you know that. She'll call you when she's back. Now let's go already."

            Reluctantly, Vaughn put the phone in his pocket and followed Weiss out the door. 

            Two hours later they were sitting in bar stools at a club. Weiss was totally smashed and Vaughn…Vaughn was still staring at his first glass of beer. He hadn't taken a sip. 

            "Duuuude!! Come on! We did thish to have shome fun!" Weiss urged, his words slurred together. 

            Vaughn laughed at his friend and looked up at the stage. The band was decent, but he'd heard much better. A band called Ozomatli immediately came to mind. Where he had heard them, he couldn't quite remember… then, suddenly, he could. 

**FLASHBACK**

**_"Josie!" he exclaimed at seeing her in the club. She was wearing a tight black dress with thin straps about the neck, embedded in a row of white rhinestones. Beautiful, in Vaughn's eyes. _**

_            He, on the other hand, was dressed more casually in his dark, baggy pants and black button down shirt. At seeing Josie, He quickly flung his arm around his partner, Courtney. _

_            "Hi!" Josie answered as enthusiastically. _

_            Vaughn turned to Courtney, telling her with his eyes to play along. "Laura, this is Josie. She's one of my students. Josie, this is Laura."_

_            Courtney responded quickly. "His girlfriend."_

_            "Nice to meet you," Josie muttered. _

_            "What?" Courtney yelled over the music. "I'm sorry, I can't even think in here." _

_            Courtney looked at Vaughn. "Sorry, I know you love this. I just hope you're gonna get it all out of your system before you move to New York," she turned back to Josie and said, "My firm has season tickets to the Met."_

_            Damn, for a girl who just became a field agent a year ago, she sure is good at making up lies on the spot__, Vaughn thought. It's clear we have Josie convinced. _

            _"Oh, well…I love baseball!" Josie joked. Vaughn laughed along. _

_             "Well, it's nice to meet you," Courtney told her._

_            Vaughn heard Josie's reply as he and his partner walked away. "Nice to meet you, too."_

_            When they were out of sight, Vaughn took his arm off Courtney. _

_            "What was that about?" she asked suspiciously. _

_            "Well, we couldn't very well say that we were CIA agents on a mission, could we, 'Laura'?"_

_            Courtney rolled her eyes. "Duh. I know why we made that little act. What I don't know is why you are flirting with your students."_

_            "I was not__ flirting."_

_            Courtney laughed. "Uh-huh."_

**END FLASHBACK**


	4. An Article of Memories

**Chapter 4**

Hours that ticked by on the florescent clock seemed to drag on for an eternity. Vaughn still sat in his booth with the still full first beer glass in front of him, wishing the vibrating techno music would quiet and the pulsating black lights would die so he could sleep. 

Finally, Weiss decided he'd had enough. "Let'sh go, Mike."

Vaughn knew it would be completely idiotic to let his friend drive home, so he gave him a ride to his apartment and helped him inside. "You'd better thank God it's a Friday, buddy. You are going to feel like shit tomorrow."

"Uh….huh," Weiss answered. He collapsed back on his couch and was out. 

Vaughn laughed quietly. "Have a good sleep, man."

He got into his car and turned the key. Pulling out of the street, he turned on the radio. The song screamed out of the speakers. It was a song from a few years ago and he couldn't quite remember the title. 

_"And when I feel like giving up  
And my world is falling down  
I show up at __three a.m.__  
She's still up watching Vacation  
And I see her pretty face  
It takes me away  
To a better place  
And I know that everything  
Know that everything  
Know that everything  
Everything's gonna be fine"_

When the song was over, he listened for the title from the deejay.

"You have just heard the popular punk group Blink-182. That

was an older hit song, _Josie. Coming up, U2, Sugar Ray, and Jimmy Eat World-"_

            _Click.  Vaughn turned off the radio. Was the world out to remind him?_

            _Ring…Ring…   _

_            His thoughts were once again broken into by the uplifting sound of his cell phone ringing. He grabbed it up quickly and punched in the 'talk' button. It had to be her this time. Who else would be calling at one in the morning? _

            "Vaughn," he answered in a quick, flat tone. 

            "I'm back," the two words were soft and melodic, like music in his ears. 

            "Great!" he replied a little too enthusiastically. Calling his professional side back, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Um, how'd it go?"

            "Meet me at the usual place and I'll tell you everything," Sydney instructed quietly. 

            "Right." He hung up the phone and put it down, then gripped the steering wheel of his car and swerved it in the complete opposite direction that he'd been going. He drove on the road towards the warehouse. 

            During those brief few minutes to the meeting place, he'd been able to forget everything he'd been pondering. Josie, South Glen South, breaking protocol…everything. All he could think about was Sydney and being utterly overjoyed that she was back in one piece. 

            Quietly, Vaughn entered the dank surroundings of the warehouse and sat himself down on the rickety wooden table to await Sydney's arrival. Five minutes later, he knew she was there. He sensed her before she showed herself, and he recognized her quick footsteps as they hurried in. 

            "Hey," she greeted, plopping down on a crate and leaning her head against the grayish green wall. 

            "Hey. How was…Bali?" he could barely force the word out of his lips. 

            She smiled and answered, "Fine. Success. I got the fake photos for SD-6." Holding up a manila folder, she continued. "Here are the genuine ones for the CIA." She handed it to him and he took it slowly. 

            "Congratulations on a good mission. Nice job."

            "Vaughn? What's wrong?" Sydney asked, her brown eyes filling with concern and locking with his troubled green ones. 

            "Nothing. I just had a lot on my mind today," he told her truthfully. 

            "Wanna talk about it?" she offered. 

            Vaughn shook his head. "It's late. You should go home. You're probably exhausted."

            "If you need to spill, I've got time."

            _How is it that someone can be so selfless? Vaughn wondered, but met her gaze anyway. Who could protest against those chocolate colored jewels? _

            "Well…it's kind of complicated.  It's something that I should've gotten over and I told myself that I did, but I've known all along that I hadn't truly. Every day for the past four years it's come to my mind, and I've tried to ignore it. But all the same, it's there. It's this memory of a mission, a mission that turned into a lot more than I expected."

            He looked up at Sydney to see that her brown eyes were filled with confusion. Who wouldn't be confused after an explanation like that? He cleared my throat and tried again to begin the story. 

            "I mean, I was just trying to do my job and things happened…a new part of my life happened," he continued, almost directly quoting Josie's newspaper article. 

**FLASHBACK**

_Vaughn sighed again as he picked up one of the hockey trophies sitting on the shelf in his apartment. He wrapped it tightly in a sheet of the most recent copy of the newspaper then packed it carefully into a box. He continued sadly, wondering how it was possible that he had failed. He had failed at everything he'd tried to accomplish on this mission._

_He hadn't managed to take down the section of SD-6, which he knew to be called SD-8. _

_He hadn't gained anything valuable for the CIA at all. _

_He had never told Josie the truth about him as she had told the truth about her…or what he had thought was the truth at that time. _

**_He had never gotten Josie. _**

_He never would. He was returning to LA tomorrow. He had his job and needed to remember that. He couldn't stay in __Chicago__ forever. _

_These thoughts all ran through his mind as he pulled all the magnets off his refrigerator and stuffed them into one last box. His apartment was empty. It was time to go back to __Los Angeles__ with nothing to report to Devlin but failure. _

_Before he left, he glanced at the only remaining page of newspaper. The showcase story. _

_"Never__ Been Kissed, By Josie Geller__," he read. Continuing through the article, he found himself slipping away, his mind spinning. He could almost here Josie's soft yet powerful voice speaking the words, directly to him. _

_"Someone once told me that to write well you have to write what you know. This is what I know: I am 25 years old and I have never truly kissed a guy. A geek to the core, most of my childhood years were spent doing extra homework I requested from the teacher. _

_"Then, at 17 it seemed as if my luck were about to change. The cutest guy asked me to the senior prom. But it turned out he invited me as a cruel joke, and I have never fully recovered. Yes, it is embarrassing to share this with the world, but it would be hard to explain what I learned and how I learned it without sharing this humiliating history…__"_

_Vaughn read in awe, right down to the last section which he knew was going to face him with a world of trouble but couldn't help being glad about it. _

"…A certain teacher was hurt on my path to self discovery, and although this article may serve as a step, it in no way makes up for what I did to him. To this man: you know who you are. I am so sorry. And I would like to add one more thing…_"_

_There was a knock at the apartment door and Vaughn quickly put down the page to answer it. _

_"Movers!" a man called from outside._

_"Coming." He opened the door then picked up the paper again as the movers began to remove the boxes from his apartment. _

_"…I think I am in love with you. And so, as an ending to this article and perhaps a beginning to the next chapter of my life, I, Josie Geller, will be at the championship baseball game where my friends the South Glen Rams are playing for the title. I will stand at the pitcher's mound for five minutes prior to the first pitch. If this man accepts my apology, I ask him to come kiss me for my first real kiss."_

_Vaughn put down the paper, speechless and completely unaware of anything around him. What was he going to do? What the hell was he going to do?_

**END FLASHBACK**


	5. Missing Puzzle Piece

**A/N: First of all. I want to thank everyone who's been reviewing this story. You guys are great, and the reviews have meant so much to me! So thanks so much, from the bottom of my heart! J Oh, also, I made a little mistake in chap. 4. Vaughn says something like "I was just tried to do my job and things happened…" I watched NBK again and realized that's not actually in her article, it's in the intro of the movie. Just um forgive me for that and pretend it was right. Lol. **

**A/N 2: Ok, second note- I've finally given in to the instinct to make this story from Vaughn's POV. You have no idea how many time's I've been writing it and accidentally changed to writing in the first person by accident. I realized that this story could work a lot better like that so I decided to try it on this chap. Review and tell me how you like the change! J**

**Chapter Five- Vaughn's POV**

"Vaughn?" Sydney waved her hand in front of my eyes. I blinked and snapped out of my memory. "Um, you were kind of in the middle of a sentence."

I pulled myself together. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I lost my train of thought. Alright, where were we again?"

Sydney smiled a little. "You were assigned a mission…" she prompted. 

"Right. Devlin assigned me a long term mission to receive information about a Chicago section of SD-6. Well, SD-8, technically. I was supposed to find their cover company, and then gather enough information to destroy it. During the year I was in Chicago, I was posing as an English teacher named Sam Coulson."

Sydney tried to stifle a giggle and I shot her a glance. "What?" I asked. 

She immediately put on a straight face and answered, "Sorry. I was just trying to imagine you as an English teacher."

"Oh, think that's funny?" I played along. She smiled sweetly and nodded for me to continue. 

"Everything was going pretty well. It was the end of April; all my seniors were excited about their prom and graduation… basic high school behavior. My mission was going pretty slowly but I was confident I could complete it with success. I'd gotten a few sources to question but I still hadn't found the cover."

"And something went wrong?" Sydney cut it. 

"You could say that. One day a new girl was brought in to my class. Her name was Josie. She was a bit eccentric, but unbelievably smart for a seventeen year old. I actually questioned her age the first day I met her," I chuckled as I remembered that. "But she still claimed she was seventeen."

"So what was the problem?" Sydney asked, climbing onto a wooden crate. 

"The problem started when I did something I really shouldn't have done. Something against the law. But, I mean, I was never a teacher before. I had no practice or experience for this type of thing…" I stumbled over the words. 

"What, you stole instant coffee from the teacher's lounge?" Sydney joked in attempt to get me to spill. 

I smiled but continued awkwardly. "Not quite that bad. I…I became attracted to this student. I didn't do anything to act on it, but the attraction was still there. I knew it was stupid. I could get fired or even put in jail for being with a student, so I just went on with innocent flirting and never did anything to blow my cover. I even told her that my CIA partner was my girlfriend to prove that I wouldn't make a move on her. But, uh, a few weeks later I couldn't stand it any longer and told her we broke up."

I stopped and took a minute to study Sydney's reaction. Hmm…was that _jealousy I saw flickering in her brown eyes? Or was it just a trick of the light (or lack thereof.) _

"So…what happened?" she asked. Was it just me or was her voice cracking? 

_Michael, give it up. She's not attracted to you. Just finish the story._

"Well… nothing, until prom night. I was pretty pissed off that I still hadn't solved this SD-8 case and I wasn't really thinking clearly. I decided that that night, at the prom, I would tell Josie everything. Well, everything I could tell her without her being killed. Everything was going the way I had planned. The three mega bitches of the school made prom court, and Josie was named prom queen. I asked her to dance with me. I was about to spill my guts when Josie suddenly yelled and broke from our dance. She stopped some popular jerk from spilling dog food all over a less… accepted girl. After that, she began to make a speech. I only stuck around for the first few words, which shocked me so much that I snuck outside before she finished."

Sydney, who seemed very into this now, brushed a hand through her silky chestnut hair and asked, "Why? What did she say?"

"I remember perfectly. '…I don't care about being your stupid prom queen. I'm 25 years old! I'm an undercover reporter for the Chicago Sun Times and I have been beating my brains out trying to impress you people!' I was so surprised… I finally knew what it was like to be on the other side. For it to be _you being deceived, not you deceiving everyone else," I explained, and another memory played out clear in my head as I told it to Sydney. _

**FLASHBACK**

            _I sat on the stair outside the dance, a thousand thoughts rushing through my head. Suddenly, voices broke out through the piercing quiet. I knew automatically who one of them was._

_            A male voice inquired, "Did you get the story?" Pause. "Josie, please tell me you got something on Coulson!"_

_            Coulson? Wasn't that me? 'Got something on Coulson?'  A story? She was doing a story on me! _

_            I stood, revealing myself to Josie and her co-worker, who pointed towards the parking lot and said "I'm just gonna go."_

_            Josie and I were left alone. _

_            "So…surprise," Josie said to me. _

_            I couldn't contain myself. "Surprise you were doing a story on me?"_

_            Her eager expression fell. "No, I couldn't… I mean…surprise I was hoping…"_

_            "What? You were hoping what, that I'd be happy? Why, because it turns out that all of the sudden I was allowed to be attracted to you?" I snapped, moving away. _

_            Josie moved closer and I could hear tears forming in her words. "You were attracted to me?"_

_I snapped back around. "God damnit, Josie. You set me up for a story!"_

_Josie looked devastated. "No, I- -"_

_"Just drop the act, ok? I mean, every word out of your mouth has been a complete lie. I don't know you at all."_

Vaughn, stop. Shut up. SHUT UP! You've been lying too! Listen to yourself! You are doing the SAME THING! 

_ "If…if we could just spend some time together, you could get to know me again," Josie suggested. _

_I couldn't stop myself from my next action.  I began to walk away. _

_"Wait, please don't walk away!" Josie called desperately. _

_I turned my head and told her softly, "I just can't look at you the same way."_

_I felt her tearing blue eyes on me as I made the biggest mistake of my life. _

_I left her standing alone. _

**END FLASHBACK**

            "I was such a hypocrite. I was the biggest hypocrite I'd ever come in contact with, and I couldn't believe that I'd been such an insensitive asshole."

            Sydney frowned slightly and shook her head. "You weren't. You were just surprised and hurt. It's easy to be irrational when you're shocked. I should know. I've been shocked plenty of times."

            "It's no excuse. But, I mean, I did make it up to her. See, she wrote this newspaper article. It ended with her..." I paused, not sure I wanted to approach this with Sydney, "her saying she loved me."

            I launched into the story about Josie wanting to share her first kiss with me on the baseball field and the five minute time limit that I almost hadn't made. I explained how I had gotten permission to stay in Chicago from Devlin by telling him I needed just a little more time to complete the mission when really I just wanted more time with Josie… I told everything. Everything, that is, until Sydney asked the question I'd been dreading. 

            "So what happened to her?" she questioned quietly, the smallest wavering in her voice. 

            I wasn't prepared to go into this with anyone, not even Sydney. "Um, nothing. I was going to find a way to get her to come back to L.A. with me, but… well, we went our separate ways."

            Sydney wasn't buying that. "Vaughn, I'm a spy. I think I can tell when you're lying to me."

            "Really, that's it. We realized that we weren't as in love as we thought," I persisted. 

            Sydney sighed impatiently. "You expect me to believe that two people who went to such extreme lengths for each other; you jeopardizing the career you needed to uphold for your mission and her endangering both her and her boss's job by telling everything for you, waited a month and called it quits? Tell me the truth, Vaughn. I know you're hiding something."

            Looking down at the cement floor, the cool air swirling around me, I bit my lip and commented softly, "It's really late. We should go."

            "Vaughn- - "

            "We should go," I repeated, and pushed open the chain link gate. I was out into the night before Sydney had the chance to call after me. 

************************************************************************

**A/N: Hmm… getting a little suspicious, isn't it? Of course, we all knew there was something fishy going on from the first chapter, didn't we? What secret is Vaughn keeping? What really happened to Josie? Stick around and find out! Mwahahaha! ~~~ (my evil laugh. Lol)**


	6. Searching for Answers

**A/N: Now that I've switched to Vaughn's POV, I'm switching again. Lol. This one will be told by Sydney. A small portion of it will be told by Will as well. **

**Chapter Six- Sydney's POV**

I haven't known Vaughn very long. A year, maybe. Possibly a little longer. But we've been through a lot and dealt with a lot, and I feel like I've known him my whole life. 

So naturally, I knew he was keeping something from me. I watched his back as he left the warehouse, his heartfelt story rushing through my mind. I knew he wouldn't tell me anything more. Not soon, at least. I'd have to take this matter into my own hands. 

Already my super spy mind was forming a plan…

**~Fifteen Minutes Later~ Will's Apartment~**

"Hey Will, open up, it's me," I announced as I tapped on the door of my best friend's apartment. The door swung open a second later. 

"Hey Syd," he greeted as he led me inside. "What's up?"

"Nothing. But I need to ask a favor."

Will looked up from the laptop he'd sat down to type on. "Yeah?"

"Well, the other day I was talking to this friend I had back in high school. She mentioned that another friend of ours who always loved writing became a journalist a few years back. I thought it would be cool to give her a call and catch up on old times. Problem is, I don't have her number or anything," I explained, telling the first lie that came to mind.  

Will smiled. "So you want me, the go-to reporter, to help you find this person?"

I nodded, grinning sheepishly. 

"Alright. What newspaper does she work for? I can do a search on all the reporters for that newspaper when I go to work on Monday."

"_Chicago__ Sun Times. Her name's Josie Geller. Thanks for helping me, Will. I could get everything myself but she has such a common name… it would take forever."_

Will nodded understandingly. "Yeah, yeah. It's no problem."

**~Will's Office- Monday Morning**** (Will's POV)~**

            "Okay, Will… here are the details of the article. Um, three hundred words on the whole 'deadly mosquito' thing by tomorrow, one o clock. You really have to get this one in on time," Jenny dropped a thick folder on my desk. 

            "Uh-huh. I will. Thanks, Jenny," I replied as she flashed me a wide smile and left, her silver bangle bracelets clattering against one another as she turned away. 

            I watched her walk away until I was sure she wasn't coming back, and then clicked my computer mouse. Quickly, I typed in _Chicago__ Sun Times. One match came up and I clicked again, selecting it. _

            _What would you like to search for? A message popped up on the screen. I highlighted __Reporter or staff member. When a little text box appeared, I typed "Geller, Josie." _

            Again, one match came up. I read over it before printing it out for Sydney. 

            **Name: Josephine D. Geller**

**            DOB: January 10, 1974**

**            Hometown: Chicago, Illinois**

**            Current Location: Unknown**

**            Address: Unknown**

**            Home Phone Number: Unknown**

            **Cellular Phone/ Pager: 773- 471- 1247**

            Hmm. Odd that so much information was missing. Maybe she figured no one would need to find her. Maybe she just didn't want to be found. Either way, the small portion of information given would help Sydney. 

            I hit the print button, folded the sheet of paper neatly in two and put it in my pocket, then got to word one on the mosquito article. 

**~****Sydney****'s POV~**

**            When Will not surprisingly showed up after work Monday afternoon, I was packing up for a business trip to Philadelphia. **

            Or at least, Will thought I was packing for a business trip to Philadelphia. In truth, I was getting ready for a mission to Khaskovo to retrieve a virus strain from some guy with a name as unpronounceable as the country but… Will just didn't need to know that. 

            "Hey Will," I called from my room when I heard Francie open the door and his familiar steps walk through. 

            "Hey, Syd!" he answered. He and Francie chatted for a few minutes and I went back to my packing. Just as I was folding a skimpy, electric blue dress, most likely from a place like 'Whores R' Us,' for the mission, Will entered the room. I threw the dress quickly into the suitcase and put my hand down on the top. 

            Will gave me a puzzled glance but his eyes were smiling as he pulled a paper out of his pocket. "Here. The information, as promised."

            I took the sheet from him and smiled. "Thanks."

            "No problem. Though, I'll have you know that getting that information cost me ten minutes I could have been using to write a fascinating article about four people who died of mosquito bites."

            I grinned and shook my head. "Really, like you would've actually been doing your work anyway."

            "Hey, I do my work!" he shot back. 

            "Sometimes, when there's no cheerleader distracting you."

            Will sighed. "How many times must I tell you that-"

            "The relationship means nothing," I finished in unison with him. 

            He laughed. "It doesn't!"

            "Uh-huh. Well, thanks a lot for this. It's a big help. But I have a trip tonight and I really need to get ready."

            "Sure, Syd. Have fun in Philly," he headed towards the door. "Bring me back a cheese stake."

            "Funny," I said sarcastically as he left the room. 

            After he left, I finished packing. Finally, I unfolded the piece of paper and read the typed information. Next to Josie's name was her picture. 

She was pretty, I guess. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous but pretty. Light blonde curls fell down to just above her shoulders and her eyes sparkled a deep blue. Her smile in the picture dazzled so brightly that you would think she had not a care in the world. Her vague information suggested otherwise. 

Why was there next to nothing written about her? Odd. I'd be home from my mission tomorrow. Then I'd call her cell phone. 

Tomorrow, I'd get the answers Vaughn was desperately trying to hide. 

**A/N: Don't you love how I worked in my city there? Philly? Lol. Just a note- I have no idea whose phone number Josie's cell is. It's most likely a real number, but I don't know. I looked up Chicago to get the 773 area code, and made up the rest. (Using 47 particularly. Lol) So I wouldn't recommend calling it and asking for Josie. Like you people would've anyway. Lol. Review please!**


	7. The Call

**Chapter Seven~ ****Sydney****'s POV**

            "Hey, Syd. You're back. How was your trip?" Francie greeted me as I walked through the door with my suitcase the next day. 

            "Boring. And tiring. What else did you expect?" 

            Francie put her hands on her hips. "I'm starting to agree with Will about this whole bank thing…"

            "Oh, not you too, Francie. Please," I pleaded.

            "Alright. But I do think it's taking way too much out of you. I'll leave you alone though," she gave me a quick hug. "Welcome back."

            I smiled. "Thanks."

            She left the room. I put down my bag and picked up my cell phone. There was one call I had to make before I called Josie. And I can't say I was dreading it, either. 

            "Vaughn," the voice on the other end answered. 

            "Hey. I'm back," I said. 

            "Great. The pier in 15 minutes."

            "Sure," I agreed, trying to hold in a laugh of joy. The pier. My favorite place to meet with Vaughn. Although meeting Vaughn anywhere, even in a ditch, would make me happy. 

            So I hung up. "Francie?" I called into the other room. 

            "Yeah?"

            "I'm going to take a run before dinner, okay?"

            "Mmm-hmm," From her distant tone I could tell she was on the phone with a guy and didn't want to be interrupted, so I left quickly, shutting the door behind. 

            When I reached the pier, the bright orange California sun was just beginning to slide behind the purple rimmed clouds. The periwinkle afternoon sky faded to a pale pink, and streaks of color began to burst out as the sun dropped lower and lower. 

            I leaned on the wooden rail, awaiting his arrival. As I watched a stripe of lavender sky fade to royal purple, I heard a voice next to me. "Hey."

            How long had he been standing there? I'm always so captivated by sunsets; I don't think I realize anything else exists around me while I'm watching one. 

            "Hey," I answered. 

            "Your mission went well?" he asked. 

            "Yeah. Fine," I smiled at him, taking pleasure in the way the surreal colors reflected off the emerald green of his eyes. "So, you want to tell me anything more?" I decided to try one more time before I made the call.

            "About what?" he asked flatly. 

            "Fine. Keep it all secret. You don't have to tell me."

            Staring out at the ocean, he replied "Syd, you don't have to know everything."

            I nodded. "Okay… so, are you alright?"

            "Yeah, I'm fine. But I just… I have to go. Don't worry about me and this whole Josie thing. You have enough to worry about already." He began to walk away. 

            I grabbed his hand. "Wait. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

            He smiled. "Yes. I just… this is something I should've put behind me a long time ago. I don't want it brought about again." Taking my other hand, he said quietly, "I should move on…" 

            We stood still, the ocean waves crashing on the shore and the last bits of the sun disappearing behind the clouds, the sky darkening to midnight blue. A star peaked out and glittered, and we knew we had to go. 

            Walking away, I knew making the call was a good decision, whether Vaughn would've wanted me to or not. If there was something bothering him, I deserved to know. He'd do the same for me. So I stared at him as he walked away, went to the store to get the "few things" I'd told Francie about, and then rushed home.   

            At home, I went inside my bedroom and shut the door. I picked up my cell phone and dialed the numbers. "773…471…12…47" I recited to myself. 

            As it rang, I took a deep breath and rehearsed what I was going to say. If Vaughn was so hesitant to tell me anything, chances are Josie won't be too opened up either. 

            "Hel…hello?" a quiet, nervous voice answered on the third ring. 

            "Good evening. This is Sydney Bristow with the Los Angeles Register," I lied.  "Am I speaking to Josephine Geller?" 

            "This…this is she."

            Now that I knew it was definitely her, I dropped the act. "Alright, Josie. Let me tell you the truth," I spoke softer so Francie wouldn't hear. "I'm not with a newspaper. I'm with…" I paused, not sure which to tell her. "SD-6. I need to ask you a few things-"

            You could hear the fear in her voice. "I… no. I'm sorry I can't… I can't answer anything… goodbye."

            "Wait!" I yelled maybe a little too loudly as I heard her moving the phone down. I heard her lift it again. Simply, I stated, "Michael Vaughn."

            "Who the hell are you? How do you know Michael?"

            I sighed. Apparently, whatever happened to Josie changed her considerably. This wasn't the fun, perky girl Vaughn had described. "Look, I can't explain anything right now. Just tell me one thing- where do you live?"

            "Yeah, right. You think that just because you know someone from my past I'm going to fill you in on all the details of my life?"

            "I know this is weird. But I really have to talk to you. You really have to trust me. I know SD-6 isn't what it seems. I know all that.  This is about Vau… Michael. I know you would want to help him if you could."

            There was a beat of silence. I knew she was thinking hard. I could almost hear the gears turning in her brain. "Alright," she finally answered. "Get a pen."

            I opened a notebook I had lying on the floor and a pen from my nightstand. "Go ahead."

            She took a breath. "I'm in Wyoming. 74 Alpine road, Rock Springs, Wyoming. I… I have to go, really. Bye." The line went dead. 

            I signed online and looked up a map of Wyoming. Clicking on "Rock Springs," it gave me a list of streets. I hit "Alpine Road," then "74."

            A photograph of a house came up, blurry at first. When it cleared I noticed a few things. 

            It looked like a normal house, but it seemed to be separated from the town houses around it. No one else would've noticed, but two black cars were parked in an alleyway next to the house. I stared at the small area of the house visible through the window. I noticed a mirror and knew that was no ordinary mirror. 

            Josie lived in a CIA safe house. 

**A/N: And so the fun begins. What do you guys think? I can't wait to write about their meeting. This is gonna be fun! Um, I don't really know how the whole Safe House thing works. I don't know if Sydney would really be able to tell it was one just from a photograph, but we'll let that go. Lol. **

I also have never been to Wyoming and I don't know if Alpine Road is real. Or 74 Alpine road for that matter. But 74 is 47 backwards. Wink. Lol. 


	8. Angels and Devils

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! And a special thank you to an anonymous reviewer who identified themselves only as "me". Thanks so much for the great constructive criticism, "me". It really helped me out in setting one of the mood themes for this chap. :-)

**Chapter Eight- Sydney's POV**

My conscience was weighing me down. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I knew that what I had done was wrong. Digging to find out a secret that Vaughn obviously didn't want to share. But Vaughn was my confident. I told him everything, and until now I had thought there were no secrets between us. 

When I realized he was keeping something from me, it hurt. It hurt badly. And pain, especially from someone you care about more than anything, can make us do strange things. And what pain makes us do isn't always right. 

I felt as though I were in one of those sitcoms or kids' movies. You know, the ones with the little angel and devil who sit on the person's shoulder when they're trying to make a decision? The angel and devil always argue and fight. The angel is pure and white, always with a golden halo and sparkling wings. The air shimmers around it. The little devil is in a bright red body suit with curved, pointy horns and a wickedly sharp tail. Evil radiates from it and it speaks in a deep, intimidating voice. 

They argue and try to persuade the person to choose they're side; the angel is the right choice and the devil is the wrong one. 

The angel always wins. 

Inside my head, the angel and devil were screaming. 

The angel said ***~**_Sydney! Vaughn doesn't want you to know about this! He'll tell you when he feels ready. Don't go prying into personal matters! You hate when Will does that! Don't go to that house, Sydney_**.~***

The devil retorted ^~**Come on, Syd. Don't listen to that goodie two shoes. You know what you want to do. You want to find out why Josie's in a safe house. You want to find out what Vaughn is avoiding-~^**

***~**_You also want Vaughn to like you. You know you like him. You want the feeling returned. How do you think he'll feel about you if you go behind his back like this?_**~***

^~ **But Syd, think about how much he'll like you if you find out what's bothering him and you can comfort him! Just like when you found about your mother, Syd. You know what you want. Do the thing you want, Syd.~^**

***~ **_Do the right thing, Sydney_**.~***

I didn't know what to do. Both the angel and the devil were… right. Too right. The angel was supposed to win. I was supposed to be a good girl and listen to the angel so that both characters disappeared in a puff of glitter and fire. But my life never went the way it was supposed to. 

So I scribbled a note about another trip, grabbed my coat, and headed out the door for the airport. 

5 HOURS LATER 

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door of 74 Alpine Road. No one answered. I didn't hear a sound. 

"Hello? Anyone home?" I called softly. "This is umm… Courtney Vaughn. We spoke on the phone." I blurted the first name that came to mind, not wanting to give my real name just in case. 

There was a small rustling from inside and the door opened just a crack, only wide enough for me to see one of the clear blue eyes I recognized from the picture. 

I stepped into the house and she shut the door quickly behind me and locked it. 

I glanced at her face and noticed that though it was clear that she was the girl in the picture, she looked very different. Reddish circles curved under her eyes, frowning against her pale skin. Her blonde hair was matted and darkened, as though it hadn't been exposed to sunlight in years. The bright smile in the picture was merely a memory now, for it was gone from her lips and replaced by a thin line. The sparkle had faded from her crystal blue eyes, which now held only fear and loneliness. 

This was what came of going into hiding, or maybe losing a love. I didn't particularly want to experience the first and certainly not the second again. 

"Josie Geller?" I asked, though it came out more as a statement than a question. 

"Yes." So much emotion radiated from that one word and it sounded as though she had experienced all of the world's suffering and pain. Glancing at her and listening to her speak could make a person who hadn't been through the pain I've been through break down into sobs. 

"My name is Sydney Bristow. I came here to hear a story and discover a truth. But… I don't think I can go through with it now, seeing you up close and… I'm sorry to bother you like this, barging in on your personal life," I said slowly. I was about to turn towards the door but Josie touched a trembling hand to my arm. 

Her eyes filled with hope and longing as I turned back around to face her. "No… don't leave. I've kept all this to myself for too long. I need to talk to someone. Just… stay. I'll tell you everything."

And so began an amazing and devastating story. 

**THE END…**

A/N: lol jk jk jk. It's not the end. Far from it. We've still got a way to go. I just like torturing the readers. Mwahaha. Lol. Review please and tell me how you think the meeting's going so far!


	9. Confrontations

A/N: So sorry this took so long to update! I was on vacation! And when I got back I had writer's block. Lol. Well, sorry again and enjoy!

Chapter Nine

When she finished her story, I got up to get a tissue. Wiping a tear from my eye, I whispered, "Wow…"

She had such a way of speaking, of telling a tale, that her words touched me and allowed me to feel every emotion as the people in the story. And so, as she told me everything, I had laughed along, sighed along, and now cried along as well. 

"Josie… wow. I'm… I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. I know it may not seem like it, but I actually have an okay life. I'm safe, I'm free, I can still talk to my friends once in a while… I know Michael's okay. And he has good friends," she smiled at me. I smiled back. "I even still get to write. Not under my name, of course, but sometimes I can send in articles under an alias to the local papers… I'm really okay here."

"Josie… it really isn't easy to live the way you have. You're an incredible person to have done this. Vaughn would be lucky to have someone as amazing a person as you."

She brightened, even laughing a little. "Thanks. But I think he does…"

"What?" I asked, not sure of what she meant. 

"Nothing. It's just that… you seem rather fond of him. And the way you've spoken about him, I'm willing to bet he feels the same."

I felt a blush creeping quickly on my face and up my arms. "N… no. We're just friends."

"So were we," Josie commented seriously. 

I fidgeted in the silent moment, uncomfortable. Were my feelings for Vaughn really that obvious? 

"Well, look, Josie… it was really great to meet you. I really am sorry I barged in on you like this but… well, that's me for you. I really have to get back to LA before my friends call the police though."

"It's really alright. I enjoyed talking to you too. Like I said, I don't talk to many people anymore. And I don't get out much. It's so good to know that Michael's okay and… just tell him I miss him, alright?" Josie got up to open the door. 

"Sure. Bye, Josie," I gave her a small hug before leaving. 

"Bye, Sydney."

******************************

THE NEXT DAY

"Joey's Pizza?" 

I jumped. That had been unexpected. I didn't realize he would call this early in the day. It was only 11:00. He didn't usually call until after lunch. I had actually seen him eating lunch once on my way to the warehouse. I guess he had called from his cell phone and finished eating later than he thought. He had been staring down at his fries and reaching for the Heinz Ketchup bottle. Heinz, not Hunts. I always kept that in mind, just in case. 

_Sydney__. Answer the phone. _

Oh. Right. "Wrong number."

Good thing Francie wasn't home. I just wanted to leave, no explanation. 

****

"Hey, Vaughn," I said, approaching him. I was suddenly becoming nervous to tell him all that had happened. 

He began to explain the mission as usual, but I wasn't paying as much attention as I should've been. In the middle of his instructions, I suddenly cut in, "Vaughn, I know."

He stopped dead and lowered his eyes, suspecting. "You know what?"

"I know what happened with Josie," I admitted. "I know that she's in a safe house. I know why."

"Sydney, you…" his eyes lit up with realization. "That's where you were yesterday. Seeing Josie. I should've guessed. I kept trying to contact you. I think Francie took the phone off the hook after the 4th time. And all the while… you were going behind my back and seeing Josie."

"Vaughn… I'm so sorry. I just wanted to know more about you. I… I care about you and I didn't like seeing you hurt."

"So you decided to completely betray my trust like this instead? How could you do that, Agent Bristow?"

Ouch. That hurt. That pained me worse than any bullet wound or broken bone or bruise ever could. It's not as if I'd expected him to be thrilled. But the cold that seeped through those words… . 

"Vaughn, I—"

"No," he cut in. "No, just… just don't. There's no excuse for something like this. I thought I could trust you. I guess, once again, I was proved wrong. You never cease to amaze me, Agent Bristow." He hadn't meant that as a compliment. His usually laughing green eyes were stony and gray, and is face held a flat expression. "Good luck on your mission."

And he left. My eyes began to mist up. And in the cold loneliness of the warehouse where no one could see, super spy- double agent- Girl Of a Thousand Disguises and Enemies- Agent Sydney Bristow began to cry. The truth sank in. He really wasn't coming back. 

As the tears leaked through my shut eyelids and dripped onto the wooden crate I was sitting upon, I realized that Vaughn had every right. This was the second time something like this had happened to him in the past four years. 

I can't imagine which hurt him worse. Me acting against his specific request not to and investigating his secret… 

Or finding out that the _Chicago Sun Times was the cover for SD-8. _


	10. It Had to Be You

A/N: Sorry this took so long! Major writer's block. Lol.  
  
Chapter 10~ It Had To Be You  
  
Josie's POV  
  
Never had I been as shocked as I was when I received that phone call.  
  
I'd often, more than often, wondered what had become of Michael Vaughn and how he was, but I never imagined I'd find out. At least until SD-8 was taken down. Similar to Sydney's goal, I guess.  
  
We have a lot in common, actually. It was nice being able to share things with someone again. It's been years.  
  
I know you've heard some of my story before. But what you know, what you heard from me, is such a small portion.  
  
Think you know me? You know nothing. Like I said once, it's hard to pick me out of a crowd.  
  
So how did I get myself into this mess that innocent people like Sydney had to clean up?  
  
FLASHBACK "It took me forever to get here."  
  
I nodded, tears streaming down. 'I know what you mean."  
  
We kissed again, and I felt like I was in Heaven.  
  
But a few minutes later, I landed back on earth and saw two people off to the side, giving Sam thumbs up and grinning.  
  
"Sam? Who are they?"  
  
"Josie. let's go somewhere. There 's something I need to tell you." END FLASHBACK  
  
And I'd though my admission was good. I was an undercover reporter, and he was a damn CIA agent!  
  
Was I mad? Oh, yeah, you bet I was mad. Not for long, though. I couldn't be, not after the lie I'd lived on for three months.  
  
But I was so unprepared for that conversation.  
  
  
  
FLASHBACK "Josie, I can't keep lying to you. After everything I put you through because of the lie you told for your job. I can't continue this act."  
  
I looked up in confusion, shivering in wonder and the chilliness of the parking garage we were standing in. "Sam, what's going on?"  
  
He avoided my eyes. "Don't call me that," he said softly.  
  
I giggled quietly, nervously. "That is your name, isn't it?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Isn't it?"  
  
He took my hand. "Josie. I'm not an English teacher. I'm not Samuel Coulson. My name is Michael Vaughn and I'm a field agent for the CIA."  
  
"W.what?"  
  
"I know it's hard to believe, and I'm sorry I can't explain much to you. I can't give too many details. Hopefully some day I'll be able to tell you more."  
  
I was speechless, completely unable to comprehend anything or think clearly. I angrily spat out the first full sentence that popped into my brain. "How. how could you do this?"  
  
He shook his head, a gesture of sadness, regret, and apology. "I don't know. I had to. But please. forgive me."  
  
"I have to think..I just have to think." END FLASHBACK  
  
Not a day goes by that I don't think about that conversation, what it led to, or just him and what he's doing.  
  
That's why I could have never anticipated Sydney's visit.  
  
I'd heard about her. The agents watching me gave me updates on how she was doing and how much longer I'd be here.  
  
The night after her stop here, I sat on the couch watching some sappy romance movie on Lifetime. It was quiet and dark, and for some reason the movie kept tracing my thoughts back to Michael. Maybe it was the way the main character looked, or acted or something.  
  
A particular line by him especially. "She's a spy and we're planning on making love before we're both assassinated by the CIA."  
  
Suddenly, as if planned, the ringing of my cell phone broke through my daze.  
  
I jumped a little and reached for the phone, expecting an agent or maybe Sydney.  
  
"Hello?" I asked quietly.  
  
No one answered.  
  
"Um. hello?" I repeated.  
  
All I heard was heavy breathing.  
  
I was about to hang up when I heard a voice, speaking in a soft, shaky whisper yet unmistakable. "Josie?"  
  
The small black phone almost slipped from my hands. Shock shot up through my heart.  
  
I took a deep breath, biting my lip to keep from screaming. Then, I clutched the phone so tightly that my knuckles grew white. "Michael."  
  
A/N: Dun dun dun!!! Cliffhanger! Lol. But I'm like a machine that operates on reviews, so review and the next chapter comes faster. Hehe. :-D 


	11. Colloquium

A/N: Sorry I procrastinated. Writer's block for a while. lol. Um this is like the next to last chap so get ready for the end- it's coming very soon. 

Chapter 11~ "Colloquium"~ Vaughn's POV

I couldn't believe I was doing this. I was standing outside a safe house in Wyoming, the icy air nipping at my face and making my eyes water. I couldn't believe I'd called Josie. Reaching up to the small circular doorbell, I hesitated. Did I really want to do this? 

'Just do it.' 

Finally, I hit it hard with my thumb. I almost turned and hurried away as the door creaked open, but I willed myself to stay put. 

The door opened, and there she was. 

Four years had separated us, but I never thought it was make a considerable difference. But here she was and although she was still Josie, she was so changed. 

"Hello," she greeted softly. 

"Hey," I responded. 

"Um… come in…" 

Slowly, I entered the house and she led me to the living room. 

We searched for something to start the conversation with. What do you say to the person you loved but hadn't seen or heard from in four years? Josie found something.  

"So… I met your friend Sydney yesterday." 

I nodded. "Yeah I know… she told me. Um… that's why I called, remember?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh. Right."

"So… how have you been…?"

"Okay. I didn't expect you to call me. I always wondered if you would, but I didn't expect it."

I avoided her eyes. "Neither did I." 

More silence. 

"Sydney seems nice. I really enjoyed meeting her."

I flinched, remembering our argument. "Sydney's great. She's actually… on a mission in Bosnia."

"Oh… it must kill you while she's gone."

I was taken aback. "What's that mean?"

She shrugged. "Nothing… is something wrong?"

"What do you mean 'is something wrong?' I'm in the safe house of the girlfriend I haven't seen in four years and is off having heart to hearts behind my back with the agent I'm handling, and you ask if something's wrong?!" 

She blinked. "Sorry. Guess I struck a nerve. But I didn't mean what's wrong in general. I meant why did you get so upset when I mentioned Sydney. It may have been four years, but I can still tell when something's bugging you."

Damn. She could still read me like a book. "It's nothing. We just had a fight before she left, that's all." 

"Oh. If you don't mind me asking, about what?"

"Honestly, about her coming here when I told her not to. I always thought we could trust each other. I guess not."

She shook her head and sighed. "Don't you understand?" 

"Understand what?"

"The girl is a spy, and an incredible one at that. She has some pretty heavy stuff to worry about. Do you think she would've come all the way here to talk to me just out of curiosity?" 

"Then why did she?" I replied. 

"She was worried about you. She cared about you enough to see me just so she could help with whatever was bothering you. Apparently, you didn't see that.  

"I remember what it's like to have your intentions and true feelings doubted by you. I remember what you said to me after I admitted who I was on prom night. It hurt pretty damn bad. And I assume you performed a similar scene to her."

I looked down, realizing she was right. But I didn't want to talk about it. 

"I care about her. A lot," I said quietly. "But I came here to talk to _you. I haven't seen you since…"_

"Since I found out the truth. I… I remember perfectly. I was only a secretary for SD-8. I knew that I was working for the government, but I upheld my role as a reporter since that's all I really did anyway. I wrote up mission reports."

She got up from the couch and began pacing around the room as she recalled the story we both already knew so well. 

"They must have found out about my involvement with a CIA agent and saw it as a perfect opportunity, because three weeks after the relationship started, they put me in field agent training. Then, I finally told you about it and you were terrified but explained the truth." 

"I couldn't stand to know that you were out there betraying your country without knowing it and being used," I explained. 

She stopped pacing and smiled weakly, then went on. "I knew I couldn't remain working for them. I could've become a double, but I didn't. I'm not as brave as Sydney, I guess. I was too scared. So you sent me here. We haven't seen each other since."

"Josie, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Like I told Sydney, I'm really fine here. When she brings them down, and I know she will, we'll all be free." 

I stood and put my hand on her shoulder. "You're really alright?" 

"Yes," she answered sincerely. 

"I miss you. Let's try to keep in touch more often."

She smiled, that grin that still lit up her whole face and made her eyes shine. "That would be great. I miss you too, Sam." 

My eyes shot up to meet hers. "What did you call me?"

Laughing, she shrugged. "Sorry, Michael. You'll always be Sam to me."

I laughed with her. 

"You might want to get back to L.A. I think you have a friend who deserves your apology."

I shook my head and grinned, headed for the door. "You really are amazing, Josie Geller."

"You too, Sam Coul… Michael Vaughn."

We smiled warmly once more and I left, knowing the memories would finally leave me in peace. 


	12. The Letter

A/N: This isn't really a chapter. It's like a… sub chapter? Lol. 

Sydney's POV~ The Letter

_Vaughn,_

_I'll forward the information I gathered from the mission as usual, but this brush pass isn't just about that. _

_I gave myself a mission, the first time I actually wanted to go to a safe house, to go to __Wyoming__ and find out about someone from your past. _

_What I ended up finding was myself, and that some things never change. Like your deep caring and compassion for those important to you, and your undying loyalty to those people no matter what happens. _

_I want to thank you. Sometimes I feel like you're the one I get up and go to work for in the morning. Things wouldn't be the same without you. Missions wouldn't be the same without you. I would not be the same without you. _

_I lived what seemed like a lifetime regret after my first awareness of your hidden past and now, after my second my regrets are down to one. _

_A certain agent was hurt on my path to discovery, and although this letter may serve as a step, it in no way makes up for what I did to him. _

_To this man, you know who you are. I'm so sorry. And I would like to add one thing: I think I am in love with you. _

_So as a closing to this letter and perhaps a beginning to the next chapter of my life, I, Sydney Bristow, will be waiting at the pier at one o' clock A.M. If this handler accepts my apology, I ask him to come meet me there… and well, you know the rest._

I smiled, satisfied. 

Then I saw him walk by, and inconspicuously handed it to him as he passed. 

Please let this be the right thing. 

***

A/N: Please review! Only one chapter to go! :-)


	13. Countdown

**A/N: This is so sad. We're reaching the end. This is the last chapter. Aww, I'm gonna miss this story. Lol. Oh well. Maybe I'll write a sequel or sumthin. Anyway, here it is!**

**Chapter Twelve~ Countdown**

**Syd POV**

Pacing up and down the wooden boards of the pier, I went over the letter once more in my head. 

I couldn't believe I'd written the letter almost the same as the article Josie had shown me. How lame can I possibly get? 

_I can't believe I'm doing this. I cannot believe I'm doing this. Why the hell am I doing this? _

I glanced down at my watch. 

12:57 am. 

Three minutes.

He'd forgive me. He had to. We'd been through so much worse than this. I couldn't do this without his friendship. 

He had to forgive me. 

_I can't believe I told him I loved him. What the hell was I thinking? And telling him to kiss me! I'm such a moron. _

I ran my hand along the edge of the rail, remembering the night Vaughn and I had stood here, him comforting me after my father stood me up. That was the first time I realized that he was an amazingly caring person. The kind of person who would always be there for you. 

12:59 am. 

Or I thought he would always be there for me. What if he didn't come? Would I stand here all night, wondering where I went wrong? 

How would all our meetings be the same? I could I face him again? 

1:00 am. 

He wasn't here. 

_It's ok, Syd. There's no way he could make it exactly at __1:00 am__. Give it a couple more minutes. _

1:03 am. 

_He's not coming. He doesn't forgive me. He doesn't love me. _

I felt like a total moron. 

I stared out at a wave crashing onto shore and felt my heart crashing with it. 

I turned away and began to walk slowly to my car. 

1:05 am. 

I'd had a glimmer of hope he would show up at the last second, but I guess I was wrong. 

He'd let me get away with too much at this point. I figured this was the last straw. 

_He must hate me. _

1:07 am. 

Suddenly, I noticed a small black figure bobbing up and down towards me, about twenty feet away from me on the boardwalk. 

I strained my eyes to see more clearly in the dark night. 

As the figure came closer, I realized it was a person, running towards me. He was in plain jeans and a sweatshirt. Unusual for him. 

1:10 and I can see him clearly now. Vaughn. 

He came. 

Quickly, he was right there in front of me. He hugged me tightly and we stood there, staring for the longest time. 

_Now what? _

I felt wetness stream down my face. 

He gently wiped the tear away. Very quickly and softly, his lips met mine. My eyes were wide as we parted. "Sorry I'm late," he whispered, almost winking in his tone. "It took me forever to get here."

I nodded, smiling from ear to ear and taking his hand, knowing what he was getting at. "I know what you mean."

****~THE END~****

A/N: Well, what did you think? The sappiness level went over and above there at the end, but oh well. Lol. Think it was a good story? Think there's hope for a sequel or something? It doesn't take long, so please review! Luv ya! 

3***Dani***3


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